It's a good thing mosquito orchids flower for a long time. It gives me ample chance to practice getting the perfect photo.  I am learning with the new macros lens. The key lesson seems to be to get further way from the subject with as small an aperture as possible. 

This is the target plant - multiple flowers spaced evenly on the stem (called a raceme). The hood portion of the flower is very small at about 4 or 5 mm long (less than a quarter inch) and about 2 mm wide (one eight of an inch). Those dimensions are what gives the focus challenge - side on easier than front on. Now if you zoom into any one of the flowers you will see that very little is in focus.

![Orchids69 01.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmT3PhzKazGnzmMofD7X4j7JpvtFBN1WcXnXBtJdQVPGkL/Orchids69%2001.jpg)

<h5>Pixie Caps orchid - Acianthus fornicatus</h5>

http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Acianthus~fornicatus 

Now photograph focused in on the top flower on the raceme but still seeing the next two down. Focus has improved - the tip of the front lateral sepal is clear and one can see the small bumps on the labellum. See the spider's web

![Orchids69 02.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmSuuaQN1tMyfh14af7yU4tFJQWLAtQBp3QHaUaFfnc9im/Orchids69%2002.jpg)

In the next one, the top of the labellum and the yellow part of the column are the focal point. 

![Orchids69 03.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmV4EBDSHcaf5aqqmXdJybWu2EfhQihVm4FLUQB7A7y5n4/Orchids69%2003.jpg)

Now zoomed in to focus only on the top flower - big improvement - the bumps on the labellum are almost crystal clear. Too bad the framing cropped off the lower part of the sepal. 

![Orchids69 04.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmbPsnJasmMKyu4kbkoqsQCuhd43QKrezt9xXTrPBt3TJA/Orchids69%2004.jpg)

Front on shows the depth challenge - mid-section of the labellum in focus but the column is blurred. 

![Orchids69 05.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmPLRhkatcARNpyXM6d3bHpbuqBRdYHYnSTXmAhtQpFJcq/Orchids69%2005.jpg)

This looks like art

![Orchids69 06.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmRumtbWVqAFR5hYnKzFRhnMBP9hD27xgbpNVfzqBCbpEZ/Orchids69%2006.jpg)

The reflection of light on the sepals is amazing - almost silver.

![Orchids69 07.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmPi7dFrb9G1U8GQcPHYg94pzRZ9eMdMz3ZFGHtK3NLwQp/Orchids69%2007.jpg)

A different angle again

Now for the theory I was testing - get further out.  3 versions of the same photo with different cropping. Top view of 3 flowers from the top of the raceme

![Orchids69 10.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmeqDxWmzovbjKvMq9UAJZdgBKWroSo9ntCjMXtwFmHDkf/Orchids69%2010.jpg)

Same photo cropped in a little to find which flower is best in focus (it is the left one)

![Orchids69 09.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmd6bHC4EpoQKmimJrSubZEVJw8oN3oLVHFPbVEAmBU9oG/Orchids69%2009.jpg)

The flower that is best in focus. This is nowhere as good as the flowers that were zoomed into for the actual photograph. Lesson learned - focus in on a single flower and get good at photographing those. 

![Orchids69 08.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQma7XbSU2vGM1Ee2cfkVEG4HmELSvHBNAPwSy79UsYBTKn/Orchids69%2008.jpg)

Of note is I kept a better control on settings. ISO was set at 1600 for all the pictures. The noise is acceptable and I used only two f-stops 5 and 7.1. 

<blockquote>Eyes open. Camera ready. A whole new world</blockquote>

Me

I saw this beautiful wax flower - the colour pink is fabulous. The almost crown like shape of the stamens is so delicate. The insect is a bonus. The photo challenge is massive - where to focus? 

![Orchids69 11.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmYrnS7RFAurBq6CgvG8ieJuUS7hMEtoeUKdAp2YTjbwjv/Orchids69%2011.jpg)

Insect or crown? I chose crown as it was easier to see. Taken at f/5, 1/320 sec, ISO-1600. 

![Orchids69 12.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmYw3pj3ogFD8Ap6uoa1oF2tCEeZFzkGZo8NZTsbRseGBt/Orchids69%2012.jpg)

Taken at f/7.1, 1/200 sec, ISO-1600. Less light into lens with a longer exposure gives a richer colour. 

And then there was the yellow flower - the leaves are a lovely rich green but the yellow grabs all the light and washes out. 

![Orchids69 13.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmZedZPXovUhNy5JNLcyVX9RLextMEn13ii2bspPuEuCB4/Orchids69%2013.jpg)

Taken at f/7.1, 1/80 sec, ISO-1600

I did like the reflection of the big tree in the puddle on the side of the track especially as it captures the afternoon sun colours

![Orchids69 14.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmdDMFvgxGYfCmWz3EpLCk4RGrLsz4yrpLMFT3Bm5JaRnw/Orchids69%2014.jpg)

And then along came the mushroom - just wow. And the picture includes an orchid leaf - see if you can spot it. 

![Orchids69 15.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmVtVLSTb38Ljvz2tuMWf6mKCzWrWv4yDLtqXEw9NkUpj6/Orchids69%2015.jpg)

Note: Photos taken with Canon Powershot G16 on July 27, 2017